Google Cloud Print – Printing on the Go

Google has recently introduced Google Cloud Print, a new service that allows you to print emails, documents and files from your mobile phone or computer that’s Internet connected. Put those printer installation discs away, you don’t require any special hardware or print drivers – all you need is a regular printer and a Windows PC running the latest version of Google’s Chrome browser.

Imagine being able to print an important document on your way to work, picking it up as you walk in the door. With Google Cloud Print, all you have to do is open a Google Doc or a Gmail based email in your mobile browser, select “Print” from the dropdown menu located in the right hand corner and you’re done. Google has made printing even easier by adding a “Print” link next to certain attachments, such as .pdf’s and doc’s, and when it comes to setting up Google Cloud Print, the entire process takes no more than a minute.

Google is currently rolling out the new feature throughout the US and will work on the majority of phones that support HTML5, including OS’ such as Android 2.1+ and iOS3+. Cloud Print isn’t completely magical; you’ll need to connect your printer first. You need a Windows PC to run the setup for now, but Google is presently working on support for Linux and Mac.

Now think big picture.

According to Forbes, enterprise cloud-based services are expected to grow from $12.1 billion in 2010 to $35.6 billion in 2015.

Is Google Cloud Print just a warm up intended for the average user? Will we be seeing high level cloud-based services from Google in the years to come?